Kristene Blackstone has been associate commissioner for Child Protective Services in Texas since May 1, 2016, overseeing one of the largest CPS programs in the nation with more than 8,000 employees statewide.

Blackstone was previously the deputy director for Field Operations for the Texas Office of the Attorney General’s Child Support Division, where she oversaw the daily operations of the Field Operations Division, which has more than 2,300 employees across the state.

Blackstone has almost 25 years of public service experience working with children and families. She has 17 years of experience with Child Protective Services, where she started out serving as a caseworker, and has held positions as a CPS supervisor, program director and regional program administrator.

Blackstone received her Bachelor’s Degree in political science from the University of North Texas and a Master’s Degree in social work from the University of Texas at Austin.